The Daughter of the Hearth
by LifeIsAPrize
Summary: Skye, a sixteen year old demigod, must make rash decisions for the safety of herself and her loved ones. Forbidden from Olympus and detested by many gods, she has had to fight for her right to live. But when she is needed to protect the hearth of demigods, will the gods give her their blessing? And will Skye be able to keep her thoughts straight with a certain son of Hades around?
1. Chapter 1

"Dad, you have to move. Dad!"

He didn't move. He never does what I say, even though he knows I'm his only chance of surviving. I pulled him over my shoulder and dragged him into his bedroom at the far end of the house.

"I'll be right back, okay? Just stay here and get ready to run." I could see his eyes light up in response. I guess the whiskey was finally wearing off.

"Go Skye," he said, "I'll be fine, I'll be right here waiting for you." His eyes looked scared.

Mine looked pissed.

This was the fourth attack in the last three weeks. That's a lot more than usual. Don't get me wrong, I've had enough monster attacks to last a lifetime, but the older I get, the more mad I become at the road my life has taken.

See, I'm sixteen. I know all about the monsters, the gods, and the heroes, but I'm not allowed to be a hero. I shouldn't even be alive.

I ran into the living room, where the front door was being beaten in by what looked like hell hounds. I could deal with hell hounds. I grabbed my eighteen-inch celestial bronze knife out of the side pocket in my boot and waited in the shadows for the door to break.

All at once two hell hounds ripped through the apartment. The first one was easy. I jumped as high as I could onto its back, sending my knife into the eye and sending it back to Tartarus.

I didn't even think about fighting anymore. It just came naturally. The second one pounced on top of me, pinning my torso to the floor. Before his head could even come close to mine, my knife was in his stomach.

I watched as the second monster turned to dust.

I ran back to my father; I had to get him out of here. From experience, I knew more would always come.

"Daddy they're gone."

"My brave daughter, I didn't have a doubt in the world." He looked more awake now, but the energy it was costing him to sit up at this moment was obvious.

"We need to move. I'll get the car and pull around back. Meet me there in ten minutes, and leave the alcohol behind." I didn't wait for his response as I ran back down the stairs.

As we drove away from our temporary home, I pondered my options while he slept off his hangover. I had to find a way to keep him safe. If this kept going on, one of us was going to end up killed.

I started to drive with a destination: Florida. My grandparents lived in Florida. I shook my dad awake.

"We need to talk, and I need you to be fully focused on what I am about to say." I knew I had his attention. After a monster attack, we usually tried to be optimistic; we never spoke of our bad fortune.

"I'm taking you to Florida." He knew where. "We can't keep doing this. If there was another hell hound at that apartment, it would have killed me, and then it would have sniffed you out and killed you as well."

"Skye…" It was a warning voice.

"You don't have a say in this matter, Dad. I love you more than anything in the world, including myself. You're my best friend, my only friend, but I'm not strong enough to protect you, just like I wasn't strong enough to protect them." I could see his flinch, but I had to keep going.

"You need a fresh start, away from monsters and therefore away from me. I want you to live a full enough life for the both of us. I want you to get remarried, have other children, grow old and stay in one house longer than a month."

"Skye, you're all I have left. I don't want life any other way. You're my daughter."

"And you're my father, my mortal father." I pleaded with his eyes. "I promise I will keep in touch. I'll Iris Message you when its safe, and I'll visit on holidays."

"Will you be safer without me?" It looked as if it pained him to say these words. I knew it always bothered him that I looked after him instead of the other way around.

"Yes." If he thought I would be safer, he would be more cooperative. He wouldn't go through with this if he thought I was doing this for his benefit.

"If this doesn't work out, will you come back to me?"

"I'll always come back to you, Dad," I said.

He took my hand, letting me know that he would finally take my advice and do as I instructed.

After I dropped him off and drove away, I cried. I cried for my lost family, my addicted father, and I have to admit, I cried for myself.

Life isn't always better at the hearth. Being a daughter of Hestia, I know all about that.


	2. Chapter 2

"_Look Skye! Momma and Daddy brought you a baby sister!"_

_I pulled myself up on my tiptoes in order to see over the new crib sitting in the living room._

"_Ah! A baby sista!" I squealed._

_My parents laughed. Momma rumpled my hair. "Yes sweetie, a baby sister. You can hold her and play with her. She is part of our family now."_

_I smiled. I loved families. Daddy said I bring families together. He says it's in my blood._

"_I luv her, momma, and I luv you and Daddy, too!" I sang while I smiled. They all laughed, even my baby sister, Rory._

My eyes slowly slid open, tears silently rolling down my cheek. Not a day goes by I don't think about Rory.

I forced myself to move. It had been weeks that I had been on my own, but I was still not used to my Dad not being there when I woke up. I packed up my little belongings, stowing a knife in each of my boots.

I checked out of the motel, controlling the mist to trick the manager into believing I paid. I knew I shouldn't take advantage, but I needed to sleep in a bed for a few nights, and that had been my only option.

I was somewhere in Georgia, trying to stay low key. I hadn't been attacked since the night of the hell hounds, but I was starting to get nervous. It felt like something was brewing in the air. I usually could feel trouble. I could feel when something was wrong with the natural order of things.

So of course I did what any demigod would do, I went to practice killing things.

I found a nice field a few miles down the road and figured it was a good enough spot as any. I had become a pro with my knives over the years. I took all my frustration out on them now. I could see Rory's crying face as she was tortured, giving me fuel to work even harder.

I was so focused on my maneuvers that I didn't realize he was watching me.

"Keep your shoulders square. If you get knocked off balance, you'll be dead."

I jumped. "Apollo, you scared me."

"Sorry sugar," he winked, "just helping you out the best way I can at the moment."

I had to smile. "Always such a gentleman, kind sir." I fake bowed.

It was his turn to smile. "I've missed you, Ginger." He never got tired of making a joke about my hair. I mean I guess it was red, but it wasn't THAT bad, more of a dark brownish with a tint of red.

The familiarity hit me hard. I started to cry, and I could tell he had been looking after me because he didn't ask questions, he simply held me close and calmed me down.

"I'm sorry." I blundered. "I'm lost, Lord Apollo. Show me the right direction."

"Skye, everyone is lost every now and then. Its part of life, its part of finding yourself and knowing who you want to be."

"How am I supposed to be anyone?! My whole life you have told me I'm special, but I think you're mistaken! I couldn't even protect my mortal family, let alone anyone else."

His face turned stern, and I knew I crossed a line.

"This pessimism does not suit you. I know your dreams have been getting worse, but you need to move forward, like we always said. I have been training you since your little sister was born, remember? You did everything you could to protect them, but sometimes bad things happen to good people, and it is completely out of their control."

"You've said this before, but what do I do now? Is this what the rest of my life will be like?"

"No, which is why I am here."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that there is a war brewing. You are in Georgia, and you need to be in New York. I have been fighting on your behalf since you were born, and I am finally getting somewhere with the rest of the council."

"What? Why now?"

"Because the gods realize that they need you, at the hearth." He pointed to my heart to emphasize his point.

"Olympus? Apollo I don't care how many gods are on your side, any of the hunters would kill me on sight, let alone the minor gods and Zeus!"

"Not Olympus. You're right about that. I don't know if you will ever be welcome there, unless my sister decides to realize how truly amazing you are." Again, sarcasm with a wink.

He always knew how to brighten my day. I love my father, but my father is mortal. With my godly side, Apollo was like a father figure/ brother figure. He has taken care of me since I was six. He taught me how to fight. He taught me how to pray. He taught me the ancient myths and kept me safe from his sister and other gods who wished me dead.

"So where then? The hearth is Olympus, it always has been."

"Yes, Olympus is the hearth, but your mother can tend the hearth of Olympus. You on the other hand, must protect the demigods at their home, Camp Half-Blood."

I was speechless. Since my family was murdered, I knew the only safe place for demigods was Camp Half-Blood. I also knew that I could never go there. The gods would be able to find me, hunt me. Apollo was always adamant about this.

"I know what you're thinking, Skye, but I have argued on your behalf. The gods are giving you a chance, an opportunity. Mainly, they need you, and sending you to Camp Half-Blood is the only way to get what they want. They are acting like it is a generous act, when really they're saving their own asses."

"So what? You take me to Camp and then I just play along until the threat shows up?"

"For the most part, yes, except for the little itty part about me taking you there."

"Um, Apollo, how in the world am I supposed to find Camp Half-Blood? I know you've taken other heroes there! Why not me?"

"Because you are my favorite, and the other gods know that. If I help you too much they will call it godly interference and you will easily be struck down by one of them. Every hero must find his or her own way, including you."

I felt flustered. How was I supposed to find a camp designed to be impossible to find?

"Ok, where do I begin?" I had a mission, and I was damn well going to succeed. I had failed before, and I refused to do so again.

"I'm sending someone to help you. He's a hero, owes me a favor. You guys are quite opposites, but I think you will get along just fine."

"So where do I meet this hero?" I questioned.

"He will find you."

With that he started to grow bright, and I knew to turn my head the other way.

I was stuck in a field with a few knives, and not a clue about where to find this so-called 'hero.'

I figured the best thing to do was to start moving, so I began trudging through the meadow. I would have run for the work out, but I needed time to think. I wondered what my role would be in this war, how I would succeed. I worried I would freeze up, and I wouldn't be able to do what was needed from me. After all, it's happened before.

That's about the time I got hit by a flying man.

He came from somewhere up in a tree to my left, and pushed me right on my ass, falling on top of me in the process. I took about a half second to react, and another to have him pinned beneath me with my knife to his throat.

He looked about my age, maybe a little older. He had black hair, black eyes, and pale skin. He was built extremely well. My breath was taken from me.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said. "I don't know why I'm here, all I know is Apollo pushed me into a shadow, forcing me to shadow travel to this place. I had no control, I swear I didn't mean to land on you."

So this was the hero. I sheathed my knife and helped him to stand.

"Sorry. Apollo has a way of not explaining things sometimes. I'm Skye." I stuck out my hand as an offering.

"Yeah tell me about it. I'm Nico, Nico di Angelo." We shook and began to walk.

"So, I guess you're supposed to take me to Camp Half-Blood?"

His eyebrows rose. "Is that what I'm here for?"

"Look I don't know what's going on any more than you do, okay? Apollo is my protector. He said a hero was coming to escort me to camp, considering I've never been and need to go. You tackle me out of the sky claiming Apollo sent you. I'm gonna say it's safe to bet you're taking me to camp." I had my hand on my hip, waiting for him to contradict me.

"Ok, I'll take you. Calm down. I just figured you had been either there or Camp Jupiter since you pinned me in less than a second and that's really not easy to do." I could tell he wasn't being cocky; he was impressed by my skills.

"Nope, trained by Apollo himself, not some camp." I tore my eyes away from his and kept walking. He grabbed my arm from behind.

"Who are you, Skye? No one gets trained by the gods."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Trust me." I faltered. His eyes bore into mine. I hadn't known this person for more than five minutes, but I wanted to trust him. I wanted to be able to share my secrets. I'm good with bonds, with relationships. I always had been. I was always the glue that pulled people together. Now, I felt like he was pulling me towards him, when usually it was the other way around.

"I'm Skye White, daughter of He-"

A howling cut me off, coming from the woods to the left, the same ones Nico came from.

"We need to go, now," Nico said, which I honestly thought was pointless: we were both already running.

Running didn't matter. Soon monsters surrounded us. We stood back to back, as if we had done this before. For the first time in my life, I had back up.


	3. Chapter 3

**If anyone has any suggestions or comments, feel free to review! First fan fic, so I'm just trying this out, but the characters and plot are going to come together.**

There were twelve monsters around us. Some were hell hounds, which I suspected caused the howling, and the others were empousa. I hated the she-devils. They were always around to screw up my day. Not to mention, they always tried to seduce my father and kill him. Not exactly a good way to stay alive when you're around me. If you haven't noticed, family is everything.

"Hello forbidden one, nice to see you!" the head empousa laughed.

"Go to hell," I retorted.

"We've been tracking you for weeks now, missy. You're a headache for everyone it seems. You have to die now!" Her smile was at war with her words. If you couldn't hear her, you'd think we were old friends.

She turned to Nico next. "Hello sweetie. Quite handsome." She winked and started stalking toward Nico. I say stalking as in she wanted to make him want her, to tease him, to control him, and take him for herself to do as she wished. It made me sick.

"Don't think so, bitch," I retorted and threw my knife right into her unexpected chest. One down, only fourteen to go. The others screeched at the death of their leader, and I knew the big shebang was about to go down.

I turned to Nico, "There are too many of them. I have a plan, but listen to me when I tell you to move, okay?"

"I trust you," was all he said.

Then the fighting broke out. Nico was amazing with his black sword. I was more than shocked when he summoned four skeleton soldiers. I have to admit I stopped and stared, causing me to almost die. If Nico hadn't sliced the hell hound who pounced me I would have been dinner.

"Whatever you're supposed to be doing, it would be good if you did it fast!"

I snapped back to reality, pulling the lighter out of my pant pocket. It was always there in case of an emergency. I always lost too much energy to risk fighting this way, but with Nico there to help, I felt confident I could succeed. I struck the lighter, and using my powers, controlled the flame to move into the high grass, where it quickly caught fire.

It took about ten seconds for the flames to build enough. I summoned it around me until I was cocooned. This time it was Nico's turn to be shocked. Good thing his soldiers seemed to have no problem taking hell hound bites for him.

"Nico, get back!" I was vaguely aware of him moving backwards, the two soldiers left standing in front of him. He was still fighting, but most of the monsters were concentrated on me.

Two hell hounds lunged, but while they were in mid-air I threw my hand out, summoning the fire to wrap them up, burning them to dust. The empousa snarled, and a few of them also made the mistake of coming after me. Between the two of us, it only took a few minutes for the entire group of monsters to be desecrated. As soon as the last she-demon was killed, I turned to Nico.

"You're a son of Hades," was all I managed. Then I fainted.


	4. Chapter 4 Nico's PoV

Nico's PoV

After the last monster was killed, Skye turned to me. "You're a son of Hades," was all she said before collapsing. Luckily, I was able to catch her before she hit the ground.

I carried her to the forest, so there would be some shade and we wouldn't be in the open. I laid her down on the ground, wondering who she could possibly be.

Her dark red hair was wavy and long. The way it rolled down her back was stunning. When she first held a knife to my throat, I wasn't even paying attention to the weapon. Her eyes were so green and bright that I was captivated, entranced by them. She had a strong build, probably close to five foot six. She wore knee high boots, each with a slot for one of her daggers. Her jeans were tight and black, and she wore a red tang top that fitted her body.

I felt her forehead, and noticed she was burning up. It took me a few seconds to realize that a few moments ago she was actually on fire. I placed my hand on her arm, and realized her entire body was that temperature. My cool hands moved to her face, causing her eyes to flutter.

I dug in my back pocket for my emergency square of ambrosia, and sat her up against my chest.

"Nico…?"

"I'm right here. I need you to eat this, alright? Its ambrosia." I only gave her half a square. With her body that warm, I didn't want her to literally burn up.

"Thank you. I knew I would faint. I just wanted them all dead before I went down."

"Skye, what was that? I know a fire starter, pretty good friend of mine actually. They're extremely rare. I'm talking one every few hundred years kind of rare, but you're not a fire starter. You needed a match."

She sighed. "It's a long story. I think we should concentrate on getting out of this area. Who knows how many others they called when they found us."

"I can handle monsters. I want answers. I was sent here against my will without an explanation. I want to help you, Skye. I meant it when I said I trusted you. I don't know why or how but I feel a connection with you, and I never have connections to people. Sure I have friends, but I've never felt a kinship with anyone like I did a few moments ago. I need to know who you are if you want me to take you to camp. It's a safe haven, but its been ambushed plenty of times in my lifetime. I want to help you, but I need to know who you really are."

She tried to stand up. I offered her my hand, but she waved me away.

"Listen, there are a lot of things about me that would take hours to explain. A lot of it is personal, and I don't exactly want to share that yet. I've had a rough life. You heard the empousa: I'm the forbidden one. All the monsters know, all the gods know. I couldn't fight in any of the wars because they didn't trust me. Both Kronos and Gaea tried to get me on their side, but Apollo spent much power shielding me from both of them."

I was shocked. Sure, in the heroes of the old times there were patrons who took special interests in heroes, like Athena did with Odysseus, but I had never heard of a god in this age protecting someone so singled out.

"Why does he protect you?" I asked.

"Because his sister tried to kill me multiple times, and he strongly disagreed with her reasoning. More importantly, he saw a prophecy when I was born that I would help determine the fate of Olympus."

Which led me to my original question, "Who are you?"

She looked torn. Her green eyes were searching, probably for a sign that she could trust me. She could. I knew I would protect her. I felt that she was special, and I trusted Apollo. He's done me a favor once or twice in my life.

She must have found what she was looking for.

"My name is Skye White, biological daughter of Matthew White and Hestia, goddess of the hearth."

Of all things, this was the last I expected. I guess my face showed it because she actually laughed. The laugh was intoxicating. It was a sound I would want to hear everyday. I didn't even realize I had been smiling until sound came out of my mouth: my own laughter.

"I know it sounds crazy. It is crazy. I've never even met my mother. She fell in love with my dad when they were kids. Well I guess she just posed as a kid, but that's beside the point. They were fifteen. They stayed together until my Dad was nineteen, and he found me on the doorstep. She left a note explaining who I was, and that I would be hunted. She told him to keep me safe, but that I was a mistake. He never saw her again."

"Jesus…" was all that managed to come out of my mouth. I realized how much of a prick I sounded like, and quickly recovered. "That's horrible, Skye. I'm sorry. Most demigods have to deal with really bad home life. It's something you'll be able to come to terms with at camp. It's something we all share."

She smiled at this, but it was a sad smile. "I had an amazing home life. I had a mother, a father, and a sister. Hestia is not my mother. My mother's name was Elizabeth White."

I didn't miss the past tense in her speech. I also didn't miss the fact that she wasn't hostile. Usually kids are angry at their godly parents. Usually new demigods who are lost and confused have a blind hatred. Not her. She seemed like she believed in the optimistic side of life. I had an inkling this girl was going to change my life.

"I think we should get moving. We can take a car once we get to a parking lot, if you're not too opposed to it."

The sad smile was still there, but she managed a little chuckle. "A demigods gotta do what a demigods gotta do. Let's go corpse boy." She playfully hit my arm and started walking away.

I had no choice but to follow her, but on second thought, I was pretty sure I would follow whether I had to or not.


	5. Chapter 5

It turned out that Nico couldn't control the mist as I could.

"Only a certain few people were trusted by Chiron to do that, or even had the power." He looked pretty impressed by my abilities. I blushed.

We took an old pick up truck from the parking lot, and I used the mist to make everyone around think we were the owners. There was a full tank of gas, so we could go pretty far before having to ditch it for another. Keeping the same car for a long period of time was risky with the mortal police. Even though they could easily be fooled, it's better to stay clear of the messiness.

Nico drove. I wasn't opposed. I usually had to drive when my father and I traveled (he was usually drunk or half drunk). This was a good reprieve.

"So tell me about camp."

His eyes scrunched in thought, but his eyes stayed on the road, giving me an opportunity to study him. I came to the decision he had to be at least a year older than me.

"It's amazing, really. There are cabins for each godly parent, although there isn't one for Hestia. You'll have to design your own. I can help you if you want."

"No."

This gave him a confused expression. "What do you mean 'no'?"

"Nico, no one can know who my mother really is. The gods are already split about allowing me at camp. I don't want any of their children causing problems, especially with this big threat coming."

"Skye, most of the kids at camp aren't like their godly parents. Like I said before, we all have family issues, and that almost always is a result from our godly sides."

"Please, Nico," was all I could say. He had to understand. This had to come out in my time, when everyone was ready.

I could see his mind working. "Alright. It's your business, and I will respect that, but there are certain demigods who will be on your side. There are people at camp who can help you, especially if its war we are dealing with."

"And are you one of these people?"

I saw him smile as he turned to look at me. "I'm the leader of the group." I could feel my face turn the color of my hair, and his smile intensified.

"Thanks. So who else? Give me a briefing on the life of Camp Half-Blood."

I had heard of powerful demigods. Sometimes Apollo would tell me certain stories about his favorite heroes. He always said there would be a time that gods would be telling stories about me, and that I would meet these heroes on my own terms. He never told me names, though. He didn't want me to revere them. He wanted me to think of myself as being on their level.

"Well, the leaders are older. Percy is 21 now, and so is Annabeth. They've been at camp longer than almost anyone. They've also been through hell and back, literally. If you want anyone on your side, it will be them." He talked about them with a reverence in his voice. He respected them, and it was very obvious.

"Okay, who else? Make sure its people who you trust. This really can't get out, Nico. We have to be careful who we are telling."

"I know. Annabeth and Percy won't keep a secret from the others of the Prophecy of Seven, although they'll get your permission before sharing your secret."

"What's the Prophecy of Seven?"

"It was the last Great Prophecy, declared by the Oracle of Delphi. Actually her name is Rachel, and she is also on the list."

"Okay, this list is growing. Who are the other seven?"

"Well, a few died in the war with the giants. You said you knew about the war, right? Well some didn't come home with us."

"Wait, you were part of the seven?"

Nico smiled, but it didn't touch his eyes. "The first part of their mission was to rescue me. After Percy and Annabeth fell to Tartarus, I had to lead the others to the Doors of Death. I guess you could say I helped out."

I heard this story. Apollo mentioned it a lot. There were only three demigods to ever return from Tartarus alive: a son of Hades, a son of Poseidon, and a daughter of Athena. This would be about the time it hit me. I gasped.

"You're him, aren't you?"

Nico just looked mildly confused. "What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about. You're the son of Hades from Apollo's stories."

Nico actually laughed. "Yeah, most likely, considering I'm the only son of Hades alive right now." He smiled down at me. "Don't worry. I have a feeling you'll be joining the story pretty soon."

I let this sink in for a few minutes. I needed to take Apollo's advice: think of myself as their equals, not their inferior. It was easy with Nico; I had fought beside him already. I was worried about the others.

Which led to my interrogation. I asked him all about the others. He told me about Piper, the charmspeaker and daughter of Aphrodite. Next was Jason, son of Jupiter, but he said these two might not be at Camp Half-Blood. Something about living in both camps, splitting time between the two, because one was Greek and the other was Roman. He also said Annabeth would tell Piper even if she wasn't around, which would then most likely lead to their return to Camp Half-Blood. Great, now I'm a guest of honor.

I liked his description of Leo the best. I figured we could fight well together, given that he creates the flames and I control them. On the other hand, Nico warned that Leo had to be taken in doses.

"And that's about everyone," he said. I realized that was only five out of seven. Two didn't come home.

"Who were the others?" I whispered. His eyes got hard, and I saw his hands tighten on the steering wheel.

"One was Frank, son of Mars. The other was Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto," he nearly whispered the end.

Pluto. His sister. His sister died on that quest.

"I'm sorry, Nico. I shouldn't have pried."

"It's alright. I'm used to losing the people I love. I haven't had the easiest life, but one thing I learned about myself is that I can't hold a grudge. Not on the gods and not on life. I know they would want me to keep living." I wasn't sure who 'they' were. It made me sad to hear him like this. I had had my own hardships, but I never want Nico to hurt like me. I leaned into him and put my hand in his, a sign of comfort. We stayed like this for hours, in silence, until I eventually drifted off to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

_I was at the old house, the Victorian Mansion where we used to live when I was a child. It was before it burned. I wandered the land, gawking at my once beloved home, now the source of my worst nightmares._

_I didn't know why I was brought here. My dreams of this place are never like this. Usually I am forced to relive my most horrible memories. _

_Artemis stood at the top of the steps, watching me look around the property, tears rolling down my face. "You." I couldn't help but to have loathing in my voice. "Why have you brought me to this place?"_

_The little girl, probably ten or so, confidently walked down the steps to stand in front of me. She studied me, sizing me up. I hadn't seen her since I was about ten myself, and that time she came awfully close to killing me. I wasn't sure why Apollo didn't protect me from her tonight._

"_My brother has convinced me to spare your life. Although I would like nothing more than to feed you to my wolves for the disrespect your life has caused, I swore on the River Styx not to hurt you unless you mess up."_

_I know I should be grateful, right? Well I wasn't. "Why did you bring me here?" I repeated._

_She laughed. "I am here to warn you, believe it or not. I believe the threat we are dealing with is a Titan. Most of them went into hiding when Perseus Jackson and Annabeth Chase defeated Kronos, but some remained. Their punishments have not made them grateful of the Olympians. I believe they will attempt to attack the demigods, knowing without you, the gods will perish."_

"_Did you just say that you need me, Lady Artemis?" I couldn't help but bait her. After all, she swore on the River Styx._

"_Beware child. My help will aid you in this battle."_

_I was silent. I would not give this woman any more respect than that._

_She continued. "You must protect the camp. Being the daughter of Hestia, you have the ability to bring the camp together as one unit, one family, in order to win this battle. You are key. Stop this before it really starts."_

_With that she walked away, leaving me standing in confusion. She pretty much told me absolutely nothing._

_When she arrived at the top of the steps, she turned. "If Ophion defeats the children of the gods and takes control of the other imprisoned Titans, this will be worse than the Second Titan War. My hunters will fight with you at the camp. Do not fail me." _

_With that she turned to light._

I woke with a start. I remembered falling asleep, but I did not remember curling myself around Nico with my head on his shoulders. Talk about embarrassing.

Nico smiled down at me. "Well good morning, Sleeping Beauty."

"How long was I asleep?"

"We're almost out of gas." Damn, so I was out a pretty long time.

"Sorry," I muttered. "I'll drive next time, you can rest."

"It's okay. There's a lot on my mind."

"Yeah, me too," I muttered.

I must have looked unsettled because he turned my head towards him, "What's wrong?" He looked actually worried.

"Who is Ophion?"

Nico thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I don't know, why?"

"Because that's who's coming after the camp. He wants to destroy the demigods, so that the gods will be easier to defeat. That's his first move."

"How do you know this?"

"I had a little visit from my least favorite Olympian." At his raised eyebrow I continued, "Lady Artemis, the lovely hunter of wild beasts and, of course, Skye White."

This made Nico chuckle. "Yeah, another thing in common with demigods. We all have those gods who dislike us. You should see Percy with Ares, or better yet, Annabeth with Hera." Nico actually started openly laughing at this point. It was contagious.

"What about you? Which one dislikes you the most?"

"Hmm, I'm not really sure. Being a son of Hades, none of them actually like to be around me, which may be for the best actually. None would take a liking to me as Apollo has for you. But at the same time, none hate my guts either." He gave me a crooked grin.

Seriousness soon crept back into the car. "So what are we going to do about this battle?" I asked.

"First, we're going to get to camp, and gain the campers' trust. Like I said, being a son of Hades, they know I have power, but not a whole lot of them trust me to lead them into a battle with titans."

I didn't get it. I mean sure, Nico could be scary with his dark hair and eyes, and all the summoning-skeletons-thingy, but I haven't felt this safe since my family was lost. Ever since he fell on me in the clearing, I felt like I had a companion who would protect me, and I would protect him. It was mutual.

"So who is supposed to lead them?" I was a little nervous about his answer.

He took my hand and squeezed. "According to Apollo and Artemis, you are. Don't worry, everyone will be by your side, and I'll help you however I can. There's something about you I can't explain. People will listen to you, Skye. You have a force around you that draws people in. It will bring the camp together. I know it will. You'll save us all."

I hoped he was right.


	7. Chapter 7

We spent the next few hours talking about normal demigod things, such as training and monster hunting. He described Camp Half-Blood and told me stories about his friends there, both funny and sad.

"I bet you I can beat you in a race up the climbing wall." He seemed pretty smug.

"I don't think so. Don't underestimate me Mr. di Angelo."

He just laughed. I couldn't wait to get to camp and kick his ass at rock climbing.

Time seemed to move faster. I don't know if it was because of the conversation or not, but soon the truck was on empty. Nico said we were somewhere in Virginia.

"Hey, do you mind if I Iris Message my dad really quick?" I asked.

"No, not at all. I'll just go get something to eat for us and maybe look for some bus tickets."

I wandered around and eventually found an isolated fountain in a park and threw in my drachma. "Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, receive my offering. Show me Matthew White in Tampa, Florida."

My dad shimmered into view. He was sitting on a beach, looking out into the ocean. It was the first time I had seen him in weeks, and he looked better than he had in a long time. He turned, looking surprised by my presence. He broke out into a grin.

"Skye!"

"Hi Daddy, you look great! How is everything?"

"Better now that I've seen you. The beach is relaxing, and it helps to be around your grandma and grandpa. Enough about me! What is going on with you?"

"Well, I'm on my way to Camp Half-Blood."

My dad looked shocked, but didn't say anything. He waited for me to elaborate.

"Some threat is building, and the gods think I can help protect the demigods. Apollo sent a son of Hades as a guide to camp. We're over halfway there now."

"A son of Hades? Is everything alright?"

"Yes, he is a very good fighter. I trust him."

This seemed to calm him down. He is the one who always said I have a way with relationships. I can always tell when someone is trustworthy, lying, or even if they are a moral person. I can usually know when bad things are about to happen, such as the attack by the woods, and I know if someone is magical, whether it is a monster, a god, or a demigod.

"I'm going to be pretty busy these next few weeks, and I don't want you to be worried if I don't contact you, alright?"

"I'm always worried about you, Skye. It's a father thing." He smiled. I have to admit it was great to him again, especially in a good mood.

"Take care, daddy. I told you I would come back for you, and I will. I won't fail this time, I promise."

His face grew somber. "You didn't fail anyone, you know that. Nothing was your fault, and we both know everything happens for a reason. If anything, Apollo has taught me that. Pick your head up, Skye, and move forward. You have done your best, and I know you will succeed." I felt a tear streak down my face. We hadn't spoke about this in years.

"I love you, Dad."

"I love you, too." With that, I ran my fingers through the fountain, cutting the connection.

I turned to find Nico leaning against a tree, watching me. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

I quickly wiped my face. "Did you find bus tickets?"

"Yeah I did actually. It leaves in a few hours and will take us to New York. From there, we can just call the Grey Sisters, or we can shadow travel."

I began to walk towards civilization, aware of him following me. I stopped outside a run-down restaurant, hoping to get something to eat before the bus ride. "Burgers on me?" Nico asked.

I didn't know how much he heard, but I hoped it wasn't a lot. I didn't want him to ask me questions about that night. I just nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

He pulled me into a hug. "Hey, I don't know the whole story, but whatever it is, I'm here for you if you need me. I know this is going to turn out okay. I can feel it."

I mumbled thanks and went into the restaurant, knowing he was just trying to make me feel better.


	8. Chapter 8

The burgers were juicy, and honestly they hit the spot. I ate my burger, all my fries, then another burger, and I ordered dessert since we had time. Nico just smiled, looking incredulous, as I kept ordering more food. Oh well, a girls gotta eat.

We decided to walk around the little town, just to kill some time until our bus left. Staying in one spot for too long is always risky, but we really didn't have a choice. The bus would ride through the night, so we could both crash and get a good night sleep. Or so we planned.

I started to feel like something was off when we walked through the main square. It's just a feeling in my gut, ya know? I heard satyrs could feel monsters, or smell them, whatever. I guess its something like that.

"Nico, something isn't right."

"What do you mean? Its only seven o'clock, the bus doesn't leave for another hour."

"It's not the bus. Come on, we need to keep moving." He looked at me like I was semi-crazy, but he followed me anyway. I kept walking, never going down the same street twice. If you move around, the harder you are to track.

We were on the outskirts of town when we were finally attacked. A massive dog with two heads came out of nowhere, tackling Nico to the ground. He was pinned in an instant, trying to hold both of the beast's faces from his own, struggling to push it off.

I jumped into action, taking my daggers out of my boots. "No, don't!" Nico yelled, just as I was about to gut the thing.

"Are you crazy?! Why can't I kill him?"

"Because he belongs to a friend! Orthros, heel!" I didn't want to burst his bubble, but the dog was still trying to rip his throat out. I couldn't take it anymore, I pounced the dog, rolling across the ground, trying to keep both heads at bay. Eventually Nico joined me, and we were able to subdue the beast, just barely.

"Do you want to tell me why my knives aren't in this thing's stomach right now?" I practically growled. Obviously this dog was trying to kill us.

I heard laughter behind me. "Because Nico knows better than to kill my pet. Orthros, heel." The dog instantly stopped biting, and following Nico's lead, I let it go. It merrily jogged back to the owner.

"Eurytion, this is a surprise." Nico didn't sound happy to see this man, but he also didn't sound mad. I guess more confused than anything.

Nico continued, "Eurytion, this is Skye, Skye this is Eurytion, immortal son of Ares. This is his dog Orthros, son of Typhon and Echidna."

"Pleasure," Eurytion stated. I just nodded my head in reply.

"What brings you here?" Nico asked. I was wondering the same thing. Why here, why now?

"I've been looking for you for ages, kid. You're the only demigod that roams around and doesn't stay at camp. Knew you were the only one I could contact. I got some news, advice if you will."

I was wondering what he meant. Why doesn't Nico stay at camp? I thought that's where all demigods go. That is, if you want to survive.

"Really?" Nico sounded unsure. I wondered just who this man was. I couldn't get a good read on him. I knew he was a god, but not very powerful. I crossed my arms.

"Yeah, really. My ranch got sacked by a group of monsters, lead by a titan. Minor titan from what I felt. They asked for an army of fire breathing horses, and I refused. They took them anyway. I managed to save most of the animals, including Apollo's sacred cows, but they stole the horses and most likely any other dangerous beast they thought would help. Seemed really interested in the animals with fire. He mentioned marching on Camp Half-Blood. You know anything about this, kid?"

So they were going to bring fire to Camp Half-Blood. Interesting.

"Yeah, we're trying to take care of it. This helps a lot though, thanks. Sorry about your ranch, by the way. Anything I can do?" It was nice of him to offer, but really Nico, as if we have time for that right now.

Eurytion just laughed. "Nah, I got eternity to worry about it. Ranch is moved now though, up in Kansas instead of Texas, but there's something else. I overheard the army talking the night before I refused the deal. They plan on marching on camp at summer solstice." Summer solstice, June twenty-first. It was June seventh. That meant we had two weeks to gain the trust of the camp, explain who I was, unite as one, and prepare for battle.

"Nico we have to get to camp, now." I was starting to feel the pressure. Two weeks is not a lot of time to plan a war. I didn't think it would be this soon. I thought we would have months, not weeks. We didn't even know who we were fighting until last night when Lady Artemis visited me, and even she was unsure who the threat was until then.

"I know, Skye. We're doing our best." He was obviously trying to sound reassuring, but I knew from experience that sometimes your best isn't good enough. He turned to Eurytion. "Is that all you came for?" He sounded weary. I wondered what else the son of Ares wanted.

"That's all for right now, but you owe me one, di Angelo. After this battle, come see me and we'll work something out. I got a job for you to do."

"I'll find you when it's over." I wasn't sure why Nico didn't refuse. This was a minor god. Nico could beat him in combat, and Eurytion probably wasn't powerful enough to terrorize him. At least, he didn't look like he was.

Eurytion just nodded. With that, the son of Ares and the two-headed beast walked away from us. Nico watched them with scrunched eyes, thinking about the encounter. I had a few questions myself.

In the mix of events, I forgot about our bus ride. I glanced down at my watch, 7:56 pm.

"Shit! We have to go!" I grabbed Nico's arm and pulled him after me, sprinting to the bus station. If we only had two weeks until war, I was not going to miss this damn bus.


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay I really like this story, and I have a ton of plans for it. All the old characters will make an appearance. I even have a sequel already planned, which was set up by Eurytion. I'm having fun writing it, but I'm not gonna continue if no one else likes it :( **

**Review or follow the story if you want me to keep going!**

**And I guess I'm kinda quiet on here, but everyone knows I don't own PJO or HoO, sadly.**

We just made the bus, literally. I was the crazy girl screaming as she ran down the street. Oh well, it worked. Nico and I were both breathing heavily by the time we took our seat.

Good news: I didn't feel anything out of place on the bus. "There's no monsters on here. We're safe for now."

"How do you know that? Sometimes they blend in well at first."

"I don't really know. It's just one of my gifts, I guess." He looked down at me with a little smile.

"You seem to have quite a few gifts, Skye." I couldn't help myself: I blushed. Again. Damn him.

I decided to change the subject. "Why did you agree to help Eurytion? He didn't seem very powerful to me."

He thought about his answer. "I met Eurytion a long time ago. I was in a bad place then, and he helped me." I felt like he was holding something back, but I didn't want to pry. "Also, like today proved, being on good terms with him can be helpful. He hears a lot of rumors in his work. I just wonder what he could want from me. He usually stays pretty low key."

"Well, after this war we'll find out." I didn't look for his response. I was too nervous to see his reaction. What if he didn't want me to tag along any more than necessary?

"Yeah, I guess so," was his only answer.

The bus ride was taking us to New Jersey, and Nico assured me we would be close enough to camp to shadow travel. I have never travel shadowed before, and I was a bit nervous about it. I didn't know much, but the theory sounded pretty scary. I was definitely not a wimp, though. Part of me was a little excited to try it out.

Most of the ride was in silence, and I didn't mind. I needed to get myself ready for the unexpected. I also had to keep an open mind. I knew these people needed to like me. I needed to win them over, somehow. I wasn't sure which one of my powers would do that. The fire, the ability to sense the unnatural, or the ability to bring people together?

Surprisingly, we didn't get attacked on the bus. I guess it probably had to do with Nico being with me. He was an extremely powerful demigod, but a lot of monsters were sent from Hades himself. Hades monsters would definitely be weary to attack the son of their master.

When the ride was over many hours later, we walked off the bus into a small, quaint town. If I wasn't a half-blood, I think I would want to live somewhere like this. It was low key, and no one was having an adrenaline rush like in the city.

"So what now?" I asked.

"Now, we shadow travel." He smiled. "Don't be afraid, but it will be uncomfortable the first time. Just hold on to me, and promise you won't let go."

"I promise," I said as he wrapped his arms around my waist. I put my arms around his neck, and he picked me up slightly off the ground and walked right into a tree.

But we never hit the tree. Instead, I felt like I was suffocating. I couldn't see anything, but I could feel Nico's arms around me tighten. Just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, I was brought into the sunlight. I gasped for air, while Nico put his weight on me.

"Sorry," he murmured. "I've never brought someone with me before. I didn't realize how much strength it would take."

"It's alright." I'm the only person he's every shadow traveled with? Hmm. "Are we here?"

He righted himself, and pointed to the top of the hill to our right. On the very top stood a pine tree, with a golden fleece and a dragon guarding it. I smiled. I loved dragons, but that's another story.

"Are you ready to enter Camp Half-Blood?" Nico asked me.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

With that, I stalked right up the hill, ready to face my destiny. I heard Nico's chuckle behind me, giving me hope.


End file.
